March 26, 2012

A Powerful Night In Praia Grande

We have recently started working with Igreja Batista Cidade Ocian in Praia Grande to help them to share Jesus in their community. It is a very nice church that is growing steadily.The church is led by Pr. Eduardo, and he invited me to preach in the church. A member of the church, Carla, helped as my interpreter. Even though we can speak well in Portuguese, we always speak in English and use interpreters to translate into Portuguese, to be different and also to encourage people in the churches and schools to learn English. This would help them to have better opportunities in their lives, and to have a better chance to have a good job and a promising future.

I spoke a message to challenge and encourage every member of the church to participate in God's work and mission to seek and to save the lost. The Holy Spirit was moving in a powerful way last night, and many church members seemed to take the message to heart. At the end of the message we shared the Good News of a restored relationship with God through Jesus, and God moved in a powerful way and 16 people accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him.

Three of the people who accepted Christ were a couple and their daughter who were visiting the church for the 2nd time. Pastor Eduardo told me that they were "Spiritists", which is a religion or philosophy that many Brazilians follow. Spiritism is a belief in various spirit beings and in reincarnation, and is a mixture of philosophy, science, and moral beliefs. Apparently they had studied spiritism quite seriously for many years. God touched their hearts in a very powerful way and all of them accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him. Afterwards we got to meet them and chat with them for awhile. This morning they sent me an email, and they are very excited about their new restored relationship with God. They also said that their daughter wants to help us as an interpreter in our project in the schools. It is always great to see God powerfully working in the lives of others.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask and imagine, according to His power that is working in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20